🥃 Whisky Auctioneer

Classic sherry whisky, very balanced and very drinkable, the grain is just slightly noticable in the finish - very good!

Quick review from a dram shared by Schmausel.

Sherry wood, grain, red fruits, liquorice, chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, tobacco, flawless sherry with a bit of grain influence, really enjoyable

[September, 2022] Why the hell creates someone a blend out of 48-years Clynelish, Dailuaine or Teaninich malts when such an old single malt bottling of these distilleries easily fetches a four-digit price each these days? The answer can be found in the very low abv of 40.3% abv of this blend: Obviously all single malt casks fell significantly below the 40% abv threshold which is needed to call a malt a whisky (any spirit with a lower abv is not allowed to be named as whisky according to Scottish law and is sold as spirit or liqueur, usually). Hence, they re-racked these under-proof casks into a refill sherry but and added a higher-proof Invergordon grain of the same vintage and age to push the result above the magic 40% abv limit. Not sure how long they married the stuff in the refill butt but it had to be three years at minimum because otherwise they could not state a "refill sherry butt" maturation but had to declare it a "sherry butt finish" instead (again according to Scottish whisky regulations: If a whisky matures in different casks for more than three years each the bottler can decide which of the cask(s) is stated on the label, usually they select the most valuable in terms of pricing which is a sherry maturation these days). I am very, very curious on both the profile and the drinking quality of such an unusual creation... ...and it is pretty nice! Right after serving this dram smells and tastes like an excellent old sherried Invergordon. Even after a long breathing and intense chewing the malt flavours are hard to catch so I simply take this as an old grain, and it is very interesting and enjoyable in this respect. Obviously, the quantities of the malts were rather small (forgotten casks in the warehouse?) but I could not care less given that the pricing is equivalent to an old grain whisky of a comparable age. I like this, and if you never drank such an old dram go for it as there will not be many more opportunities to buy a vintage 1973 at such a reasonable price (319 Euro bucks), most probably.

Really a sherried grain whisky; the malt largely disappears into the background. Perhaps fairly priced in today’s climate considering the age statement, but definitely too expensive for what it delivers in the end.

The 2nd dram from a 5cl sample is much better. Complex nose and rum chocolate on the finish. 86-90 – Wow, really good one, need a bottle

The grain content will be very high here and will come through clearly. Not my thing.

Definitely a blend because it's so round and smooth, but one of the beautiful and exciting kind because it has character, intensity and power. For me between 89 and 90 points. Lots of sherry, almost port sweetness with some rum, but all blended well, cleanly and harmoniously, without too much oak - if it weren't for the price and marketing, this whiskey would probably be rated even higher in taste. It's not worth 300 euros, hey, you can get a Parliament for 150 euros and then mix a blend yourself with a nice malt that you would like to go with it.

Quite tasty, even if I don't like the slightly artificial side. But it's still 84 points because everything else fits pretty well.

At the beginning, the grain and the sherry from the cask dominate the drop. The longer it stands in the glass, the more complex it becomes and can ultimately convince with an interplay of aromas. The palate is still exciting, but the grain and tannins are becoming more and more dominant. The finish then surprises again with the sudden appearance of berries. But one would have wished for a longer finish. The main point of criticism is the lack of power, so the 40.3% was a bit tight.

The incarnation of what I call jam whisky! Very smooth, but unfortunately too easy to drink for the price.

A beautiful whiskey that is characterized by the aromas of the aged grain portion of the blend. The sherry cask has had a good influence on the maturation, but has not become too intrusive over the many years. Unfortunately there are only a few traces of the old malts. Considering the current prices for comparable old Invergordon bottlings, the issue price is quite acceptable.

A nice old blend with a great, deep aroma. The grain content is definitely noticeable and the whiskey is a bit weak due to the low alcohol content - but the Excalibur is still fun!

Considering the age the price for this whisky is ok.

Whatever spirits this old man was collected from, they all harmonize perfectly with each other and do not have a hint of fatigue or overtanning. For myself, I was once again convinced that even grain alcohols in the composition, with the right combination of them, can give an excellent result over a long distance.

He was allowed to breathe in the glass for around 30-40 minutes, which opens it up. A sweetish smell of wood (no oak) on the nose, which I would describe as precious woods such as cedar or sandalwood. He also knows some parallels to very old cognacs, an old dusty leather chair is in the glass. In addition, dark, partially dried fruits, especially plums, which were seasoned with a little cinnamon and brown sugar. The first sip: Yes, you can tell that it only has just over 40%, it is relatively light in the mouth. The alcohol is no longer felt, you can leave it in your mouth forever. With the second sip come notes of dark honey, autumn leaves and again old wood, along with rum raisins, green tea and rock candy. The finish is then quite long and gentle, it needs a little time to develop properly. But then you have a nice, pleasant aftertaste that is reminiscent of dark chocolate with almonds. A drop that should be given a lot of time and attention and that especially likes to impress with a wonderful nose and sheer age. On the other hand, the alcohol content should actually be a few percent higher, then it would develop even more power on the palate.

Nose 93 Taste 92 Finish 91

Very dark and oily, top harmonious whisky

Great Blended Whisky, nice complex Taste and very good Value for Money!!!